KR102249826B1 - Method and electronic device for managing data - Google Patents

Abstract

An electronic device according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a processor that drives an application, a memory, and a communication module that establishes a connection with an external device. The processor may generate data by dividing it into a first file and a second file, store the first file in a memory, and transmit the second file to an external device through a communication module to be stored in the external device. In addition to this, various embodiments identified through the specification are possible.

Description

Data management method and electronic device that performs it {METHOD AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE FOR MANAGING DATA}

The present invention relates to a data management method capable of improving security and an electronic device performing the same.

With the recent development of mobile communication technology, electronic devices are being transformed into a form that can be easily portable and freely connected to a wired or wireless network. For example, portable electronic devices such as a smartphone and a tablet PC may support various functions such as image capture, document work, and Internet search, as well as call and message transmission/reception functions.

On the other hand, there are increasing cases in which confidential documents or images containing private life stored in the electronic device are leaked by malicious users. For example, a malicious computer expert may hack another person's electronic device and steal a confidential file or the like from the other person's electronic device. In addition, some of the team members who have performed the joint work may leak confidential documents that have been jointly worked out, and private images may be leaked by a user who accidentally acquires the electronic device of another person.

In order to improve the security of files stored in the electronic device, encryption of a password method may be considered. However, encryption of the password method can no longer guarantee the security of the file when the password is known or the encryption algorithm is cracked.

In addition, encryption using passwords cannot be an appropriate security measure because, for example, when one of a plurality of users performing a joint work changes heart and attempts to leak with malicious intentions, it becomes defenseless.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide safe protection of data through a plurality of electronic devices in order to solve these problems.

An electronic device performing a data management method according to various embodiments of the present disclosure may include a processor that drives an application, a memory that is connected to the processor and stores an application, and a communication module that establishes a connection with an external device. . The processor divides and generates data executable by an application into a first file and a second file, stores the first file in a memory, and transmits the second file to an external device through a communication module to be stored in the external device. Can be set to

According to a data management method according to various embodiments of the present disclosure, since data is divided and stored in a plurality of electronic devices, data cannot be restored using only files stored in each electronic device. This makes it possible to safely manage important data.

1A and 1B illustrate an environment in which an electronic device and a data management method according to various embodiments of the present disclosure are performed.
2 illustrates an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
3 shows a data management method according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 shows a data management method according to another embodiment of the present invention.
5A and 5B illustrate a user interface for implementing a data management method according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.
6 illustrates a case where a data management method according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied to electronic devices belonging to the same user.
7 illustrates an example in which a data management method according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied to electronic devices belonging to different users, respectively.
8 shows a data management method according to an embodiment of the present invention for restoring data.
9 shows a data management method according to another embodiment of the present invention for restoring data.
10A to 10D illustrate screens to which a data management method according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is applied.

Hereinafter, various embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to a specific embodiment, it should be understood to include various modifications, equivalents, and/or alternatives of the embodiments of the present invention. In connection with the description of the drawings, similar reference numerals may be used for similar elements.

In this document, expressions such as "have", "may have", "include", or "may contain" are the presence of corresponding features (eg, elements such as numbers, functions, actions, or parts). And does not exclude the presence of additional features.

In this document, expressions such as "A or B", "at least one of A or/and B", or "one or more of A or/and B" may include all possible combinations of the items listed together. . For example, "A or B", "at least one of A and B", or "at least one of A or B" includes (1) at least one A, (2) at least one B, Or (3) it may refer to all cases including both at least one A and at least one B.

Expressions such as "first", "second", "first", or "second" used in various embodiments may modify various elements regardless of order and/or importance, and the corresponding elements Not limited. For example, a first user device and a second user device may represent different user devices regardless of order or importance. For example, without departing from the scope of the present invention, a first component may be referred to as a second component, and similarly, a second component may be renamed to a first component.

Some component (eg, the first component) is “(functionally or communicatively) coupled with/to)” to another component (eg, the second component) or “ When referred to as "connected to", it should be understood that the certain component may be directly connected to the other component or may be connected through another component (eg, a third component). On the other hand, when a component (eg, a first component) is referred to as being “directly connected” or “directly connected” to another component (eg, a second component), the component and the It may be understood that no other component (eg, a third component) exists between the different components.

The expression "configured to" used in this document is, for example, "suitable for", "having the capacity to" depending on the situation. It can be used interchangeably with ", "designed to", "adapted to", "made to", or "capable of". The term "configured to (or set) to" may not necessarily mean only "specifically designed to" in terms of hardware. Instead, in some situations, the expression "a device configured to" may mean that the device "can" along with other devices or parts. For example, the phrase "a processor configured (or configured) to perform A, B, and C" means a dedicated processor (eg, an embedded processor) for performing the corresponding operation, or executing one or more software programs stored in a memory device. By doing so, it may mean a generic-purpose processor (eg, a CPU or an application processor) capable of performing corresponding operations.

Terms used in this document are only used to describe a specific embodiment, and may not be intended to limit the scope of other embodiments. Singular expressions may include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. All terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, may have the same meaning as commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art. Terms defined in a commonly used dictionary may be interpreted as having the same or similar meaning as the meaning in the context of the related technology, and should not be interpreted as an ideal or excessively formal meaning unless explicitly defined in this document. . In some cases, even terms defined in this document cannot be interpreted to exclude embodiments of the present invention.

Electronic devices according to various embodiments of the present invention include, for example, a smartphone, a tablet PC, a mobile phone, a video phone, and an e-book reader. reader), desktop PC, laptop PC, netbook computer, workstation, server, personal digital assistant (PDA), portable multimedia player (PMP), MP3 player, mobile Medical devices, cameras, or wearable devices (e.g. smart glasses, head-mounted-devices (HMD)), electronic clothing, electronic bracelets, electronic necklaces, electronic accessories, electronic It may include at least one of a tattoo, a smart mirror, or a smart watch.

Hereinafter, electronic devices according to various embodiments will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this document, the term user may refer to a person using an electronic device or a device (eg, an artificial intelligence electronic device) using an electronic device.

1A and 1B illustrate an environment in which an electronic device and a data management method according to various embodiments of the present disclosure are performed.

Referring to FIG. 1A, an environment in which an electronic device and a data management method according to an embodiment of the present invention is performed may include electronic devices 100A and 200A belonging to user A. For example, the electronic device 100A may be a smartphone, and the electronic device 200A may be a wearable device (eg, a smart watch). Connection with the electronic devices 100A and 200A may be established through, for example, Bluetooth Secure Simple Pairing (SPP).

The electronic device 100A may acquire data by manipulation of the user A or from another electronic device. For example, the electronic device 100A may acquire image data through a camera mounted thereon according to the user A's manipulation, or may acquire document data transmitted from another electronic device.

The electronic device 100A may generate a first file and a second file by dividing the acquired data. The electronic device 100A may store the divided first file in a memory provided in the electronic device 100A. Also, the electronic device 100A may transmit the divided second file to the electronic device 200A.

The first file stored in the memory of the electronic device 100A may not be output through an application capable of executing data before being divided. For example, the application may not inform user A of the existence of the first file when searching for an executable data file, and may not display a preview of the first file (eg, thumbnail or icon, etc.), Execution of the first file can be prohibited. Like the first file, the second file transmitted to the electronic device 200A may not be output through an application driven by the electronic device 200A.

Since only the first file and the second file are stored in the electronic devices 100A and 200A, respectively, a user of each device cannot view or edit all or part of the data before being divided. For example, even if the user A loses the electronic device 100A, as long as the electronic device 200A is in the user A, another user who has acquired the electronic device 100A cannot view or edit all or part of the data before division.

Meanwhile, when the user A wants to use the data before being divided, the user A may run the application in the electronic device 100A storing the first file. When the application is driven, the electronic device 100A may determine whether a connection with the electronic device 200A has been established. When a connection with the electronic device 200A is established, the electronic device 100A may transmit a message requesting a second file stored in the electronic device 200A to the electronic device 200A. When a second file is received from the electronic device 200A in response to the message, the electronic device 100A may restore data based on the first file and the second file stored in the memory. Accordingly, user A can execute the restored data file through the application.

Referring to FIG. 1B, an environment in which an electronic device and a data management method according to another embodiment of the present invention is performed may include an electronic device 100A of user A, an electronic device 300B of user B, and an electronic device 400C of user C. I can. For example, the electronic device 100A may be a smartphone, the electronic device 300B may be a laptop PC, and the electronic device 400C may be a tablet PC. The electronic devices 100A, 300B, and 400C may be connected using short-range wireless communication (eg, Wi-Fi Direct, NFC, etc.).

Users A, B, and C may collaborate on predetermined data using their electronic devices 100A, 300B, and 400C, respectively. For example, users A, B, and C can jointly create document data files while working on the same project. The document data file may be obtained by each of the electronic devices 100A, 300B, and 400C, and each user of the electronic devices 100A, 300B, and 400C may view or edit the document data file obtained through the document editing application. .

When the collaboration by users A, B, and C is complete. The electronic device 100A may generate a first file, a second file, and a third file by dividing the document data file. The electronic device 100A may store the divided first file in a memory provided in the electronic device 100A, and may transmit the second file and the third file to the electronic devices 300B and 400C, respectively. In this case, the document data file, the second file, and the third file are not stored in the storage device (eg, flash memory, SD card, etc.) of the electronic device 100A.

The first file stored in the memory of the electronic device 100A may not be output by the document editing application. That is, the document editing application may not recognize the existence of the first file when searching for an executable data file. Accordingly, the document editing application may not be able to provide a preview of the first file or execute the first file.

In addition, the second and third files respectively transmitted to the electronic devices 300B and 400C may be stored in the memories of the electronic devices 300B and 400C, respectively. In each of the electronic devices 300B and 400C, like the first file, the second file and the third file may not be output through the document editing application.

Since the electronic devices 100A, 300B, and 400C each have only a part of the divided files, all or part of the data cannot be viewed or edited before being divided. For example, even if user B has malicious intent and leaks a collaborative file to the outside, since the electronic device 300B of user B only stores the divided second file, the document data file before division may not be leaked.

Meanwhile, users A, B, and C may resume collaborative work on the document data file. When the user A drives the document viewing/editing application using the electronic device 100A, first, the electronic device 100A may determine whether a connection with the electronic devices 300B and 400C has been established. When a connection with the electronic devices 300B and 400C is established, the electronic device 100A may transmit a message requesting a second file to the electronic device 300B, and may transmit a message requesting a third file to the electronic device 400C.

When the second file and the third file are received from the electronic devices 300B and 400C in response to the message, the electronic device 100A may restore the document data file based on the first file, the second file, and the third file stored in the memory. have. The operations of the electronic device 100A described above may be similarly performed in the electronic devices 300B and 400C. As a result, all users can obtain the restored document data file and perform work again through the document editing application. However, in some embodiments, the divided files are transmitted to a specific electronic device (eg, an electronic device in which a file having the largest capacity is stored), and other electronic devices may access the specific electronic device to participate in work. For example, the electronic device 100A may obtain a second file and a third file from the electronic devices 300B and 400C, and the electronic devices 300B and 400C may access the electronic device 100A in a cloud-computing manner to perform a document operation.

2 illustrates an electronic device according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

An electronic device 101 according to various embodiments is described with reference to FIG. 2. For example, the electronic device 101 may correspond to the electronic devices 100A, 200A, 300B, and 400C shown in FIG. 1.

The electronic device 101 may include a bus 110, a processor 120, a memory 130, an input/output interface 140, a display 150, and a communication module 160. In some embodiments, the electronic device 101 may omit at least one of the constituent elements or may additionally include another constituent element.

The bus 110 may include, for example, a circuit that connects elements 110 to 160 to each other and transmits communication (eg, messages and/or data) between the elements.

The processor 120 may drive an application program (hereinafter also referred to as an application) stored in the memory 130 and may execute data through the application. The data may include a variety of data (files) regardless of format. For example, the data may include document data, image data, video data, audio data, log data, and the like.

The processor 120 may generate the data by dividing it into a first file 133 and a second file 135. The processor 120 may store the first file 133 in the memory 130 and transmit the second file 135 to the external electronic device 102 through the communication module 160 to be stored in the external electronic device 102 (in memory).

When the processor 120 divides the data into the first file 133 and the second file 135, a lossless compression division method may be applied. code) may be additionally applied. At this time, a hash (HASH) or a HASH-based Message Authentication Code (HMAC) may be shared by each electronic device (electronic device 101 and electronic device 102) in order to check the damage of the file and ensure stability.

The first file 133 may not be able to be output through the application, and the second file 135 may not be output through the application included in the external electronic device 102 as well.

According to an embodiment, in dividing the data, the processor 120 may determine the size of the generated first file 133 and the size of the second file 135 according to the type of the electronic device 101 or the external electronic device 102. For example, if the external electronic device 102 is a wearable device (eg, a smart watch or a smart band), the processor 120 may determine the size of the second file 135 to be smaller than the size of the first file 133. In general, the memory installed in a wearable device is because the memory capacity of a non-wearable device (eg, a smartphone or a tablet PC) is small. In addition, when the size of the second file 135 is small, the data load of the wireless communication 164 is reduced, so that rapid transmission can be achieved.

According to an embodiment, the processor 120 may encrypt the data and divide the encrypted data into a first file 133 and a second file 135, or may encrypt the divided first file 133 and the second file 135. The electronic device 101 may perform the encryption using a predetermined encryption algorithm 139. The predetermined encryption algorithm 139 may be an encryption algorithm based on a block cipher. The encryption algorithm based on the block encryption may use an AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) encryption algorithm, or a white-box AES encryption algorithm applied thereto. When encryption is performed through an algorithm of AES 256 or higher, the encryption mode can be set to AES/CBC/PKCS5 padding.

For example, the processor 120 may generate an encryption key by applying a password to a key derivation algorithm, and may encrypt data using the generated encryption key and encryption algorithm 139. The password may be obtained from an external electronic device 102 through the communication module 160 or may be input from a user through a display 150 having a touch panel.

The processor 120 may perform the above-described function simultaneously with acquiring the data (eg, acquiring image data by selecting the camera shutter object 521 in FIG. 5B ). Alternatively, after acquiring data, the processor 120 may perform the above-described function according to a user's selection (eg, selection 511 or 513 in FIG. 5A ). Also, the processor 120 may perform the above-described operation on the acquired data at predetermined time intervals. In this case, even when the connection state with the external electronic device by the communication module 160 is deteriorated or the connection is released, the encrypted state of the file may be guaranteed.

Meanwhile, when the application is driven and a connection is established between the electronic device 101 and the external electronic device 102, the processor 120 checks whether the second file 135 corresponding to the first file 133 stored in the memory 130 is acquired (or exists). I can. If the second file 135 has not been obtained, the processor 120 may transmit a message requesting the second file 135 to the external electronic device 102 through the communication module 160.

When the second file 135 is obtained from the external electronic device 102 in response to the second file request message, the processor 120 restores data from the first file 133 stored in the memory 130 and the second file 135 obtained from the external electronic device 102. can do.

Meanwhile, according to some embodiments, the first file 133 stored in the memory 130 and the second file 135 obtained from the external electronic device 102 may be encrypted files. The processor 120 may restore data before division based on the encrypted first file 133 and the encrypted second file 135. The decoding may be performed using a decoding algorithm 139 stored in the memory 130.

For example, the processor 120 may generate a decryption key by applying the obtained password to the key derivation algorithm 137, and restore data from the first file 133 and the second file 135 using the generated decryption key and decryption algorithm 139. can do. The password may be obtained from the external electronic device 102 through the communication module 160 or may be input from the user of the electronic device 101 through the input/output interface 140.

When the user of the electronic device 101 wants to use the data before division again, the processor 120 may establish a connection with the external electronic device 102 and restore the data according to the above-described method.

The processor 120 performing the above-described function may include one or more of a central processing unit (CPU), an application processor (AP), and a communication processor (CP). The processor 120 may control at least one other component of the electronic device 101 and/or perform an operation or data processing related to communication.

The memory 130 may be coupled to the processor 120 through the bus 110 and may store software and/or programs. The memory 130 includes, for example, an application program (or application) 131 capable of executing data, a first file 133 divided from the data, a key derivation algorithm 137 for generating an encryption key and a decryption key, and an encryption/decryption algorithm 139. It may include.

The input/output interface 140 may serve as an interface through which commands or data input from a user or another external device can be transmitted to other components of the electronic device 101. Also, the input/output interface 140 may output commands or data received from other component(s) of the electronic device 101 to a user or another external device.

The display 150 may display various types of content (eg, text, images, videos, icons, or symbols) to a user. The display 150 may include a touch screen, and may receive, for example, a touch, gesture, proximity, or hovering input using an electronic pen or a part of a user's body. For example, the display 150 may receive an operation for inputting a password from a user or may display (or output) data executed by the application 131.

The communication module 160 may establish a communication connection between the electronic device 101 and an external device (eg, the external electronic device 102) through wireless communication 164. The wireless communication 164 may include short-range communication, for example. For short-range communication, the communication module 160 may include, for example, an interface module corresponding to at least one of Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth, near field communication (NFC), Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), or infrared communication. .

According to some embodiments, wireless communication 164 may include cellular communication. For example, at least one of LTE, LTE-A, CDMA, WCDMA, UMTS, WiBro, or GSM may be used. Also. Wireless communication 164 may be replaced with wired communication. For wired communication, for example, at least one of a universal serial bus (USB), a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI), a recommended standard 232 (RS-232), or a plain old telephone service (POTS) may be used.

The external electronic device 102 may be a device of the same or different type as the electronic device 101. According to an embodiment, all or part of the operations executed by the electronic device 101 may be executed by another electronic device or a plurality of electronic devices. According to an embodiment, when the electronic device 101 needs to perform a certain function or service automatically or upon request, the electronic device 101 instead of or in addition to executing the function or service itself, at least some functions associated therewith. May be requested from another device (eg, the electronic device 102). Another electronic device (eg, the electronic device 102) may execute a requested function or an additional function and transmit the result to the electronic device 101. The electronic device 101 may provide a requested function or service by processing the received result as it is or additionally. For this, for example, cloud computing, distributed computing, or client-server computing technology may be used.

The configuration and function of the electronic device 101 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure are as described above. Hereinafter, a data management method according to various embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 3 to 10. Hereinafter, a data management method according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is described as being performed between two electronic devices, but is not limited thereto. As illustrated in FIG. 1B, a data management method according to various embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied to three or more electronic devices.

3 shows a data management method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 3, a data management method according to an embodiment of the present invention may include operations 301 to 305.

In operation 301, the processor 120 may generate data executable by the application 131 by dividing it into a first file 133 and a second file 135.

In operation 303, the processor 120 may store the first file 133 in the memory 130. The first file 133 may be set so that output through the application 131 is impossible.

In operation 305, the processor 120 may transmit the second file 135 to the external electronic device 102 through the communication module 160 to be stored in the external electronic device 102. The second file 135 may be transmitted to the electronic device 102 and may not be maintained in the electronic device 101.

4 shows a data management method according to another embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 4, a data management method according to another embodiment of the present invention may include operations 401 to 409.

In operation 401, the processor 120 may determine whether a connection with the external electronic device 102 through the communication module 160 is established. If it is determined that the connection has been established, operation 403 may be performed. Otherwise, the determination of operation 401 may be repeated.

In operation 403, the processor 120 may determine the size (or split ratio) of the generated first file 133 and the second file 135 according to the type of the electronic device 101 or the external electronic device 102. For example, the processor 120 is based on the device profile (not shown) stored in the memory 130 of the electronic device 101 and the device profile of the external electronic device 102 obtained when establishing a connection. You can determine the type (eg, smartphone, smart watch, tablet PC, laptop PC, etc.), the space of the storage device, and the supported communication methods (eg, cellular communication, Wi-Fi, wired connection, etc.).

For example, if the external electronic device 102 is a wearable device, the size of the second file 135 may be determined to be smaller than the size of the first file 133. In addition, when the electronic device 101 is a laptop PC having a large-capacity memory, the size of the second file 135 may be determined to be smaller than the size of the first file 133. The size of the first file 133 and the second file 135 is according to the user's setting, but the size of the second file 135 may be set to a minimum size that cannot be restored based on only the corresponding first file 133.

In operation 405, the processor 120 may generate a first file 133 and a second file 135 by dividing the acquired data according to the file size determined in operation 403.

In operation 407, the processor 120 may store the first file 133 in the memory 130.

In operation 409, the processor 120 may transmit the second file 135 to the external electronic device 102 through the communication module 160 to be stored in the external electronic device 102.

5A and 5B illustrate a user interface (UI) for implementing a data management method according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 5A, a tablet PC 510 including an electronic device 101 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is illustrated. For example, a user of the tablet PC 510 may perform a work on a document data file alone or jointly with another user using a document editing application. When the above operation is completed, the user of the tablet PC 510 may perform a predetermined user operation (eg, selecting the'Secretly Save' button) to store the completed document data file. When the user manipulation is performed, a screen such as that shown in FIG. 5A may be displayed on the display 150.

For example, when the user of the tablet PC 510 selects the option 511, the data management method shown in FIG. 6 to be described later may be performed, and when the user of the tablet PC 510 selects the option 513, the data management method shown in FIG. 7 to be described later may be performed. .

5B, a smart phone 520 according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown. The smartphone 520 may include an imaging sensor (camera), and may be understood as an example of the electronic device 101. The user of the smartphone 520 may acquire image data using a camera application. For example, when the user of the smartphone 520 selects (touches) an object 521 representing a camera shutter, image data may be obtained. When the image data is acquired, the data management method shown in FIG. 6 to be described later may be performed. Meanwhile, the camera application may display a predetermined icon when the above-described security method is applied to the currently captured image. For example, a lock-shaped display may be included in the object 521 representing the camera shutter. This may mean that a communication connection with the external electronic device 102 has been established, and an image captured in this state is divided and stored between the smartphone 520 and the external electronic device 102.

6 illustrates a case where a data management method according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied to electronic devices belonging to the same user.

Referring to FIG. 6, a data management method applied to electronic devices 101 and 102 belonging to the same user may include operations 601 to 615. Operations 601 to 615 may be executed, for example, when the user selects the option 511 of FIG. 5A or the camera shutter object 521 of FIG. 5B. When the option 511 of FIG. 5A is selected, the divided data may be a document data file, and when the camera shutter object 521 of FIG. 5B is selected, the divided data may be image data.

In operation 601, the processor 120 may determine whether a connection with the external electronic device 102 is established. That is, the processor 120 may determine whether the external electronic device 102 to which the connection has been established is registered as a device belonging to the user of the electronic device 101. If the external electronic device 102 to which the connection has been established belongs to the user of the electronic device 101, operation 603 may be performed. Otherwise, the determination of operation 601 may be repeated.

In operation 603, the electronic device 101 may obtain a password from the user through the display 150 equipped with the touch panel. The password may be input from the external electronic device 102 belonging to the same user, and in this case, the electronic device 101 may receive the password from the external electronic device 102. Since both the electronic devices 101 and 102 belong to the same user, the user may input a password through an electronic device arbitrarily selected.

In operation 605, the processor 120 may generate an encryption key by applying the password obtained in operation 603 to the key derivation algorithm 137.

In operation 607, the processor 120 may encrypt the acquired data (eg, document data file, image data) by using the encryption key and encryption algorithm 139 generated in operation 605.

According to an embodiment, data encryption may be performed after data is divided. In other words, data encryption may be performed on each of the divided first and second files 133 and 135. That is, in some embodiments, operations 609 to 611 may be performed first, and operations 603 to 607 may be performed after operation 611. In this case, the first file and the second file in operations 613 and 615 may be files to which encryption is applied after division.

In operation 609, the processor 120 may determine the size of the first file 133 and the size of the second file 135 to be divided and generated from the data according to the type of the electronic device 101 or the external electronic device 102. If the processor 120 determines that the external electronic device 102 is a wearable device based on the communication profile of the external electronic device 102, the processor 120 may determine the size of the second file 135 to be smaller than the size of the first file 133.

In operation 611, the processor 120 may generate a first file 133 and a second file 135 by dividing the acquired data according to the size of each file determined in operation 609.

In operation 613, the processor 120 may store the first file 133 in the memory 130.

In operation 615, the processor 120 may transmit the second file 135 to the external electronic device 102 to be stored in the external electronic device 102.

7 illustrates an example in which a data management method according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied between electronic devices belonging to different users, respectively. In the following description, descriptions of overlapping, corresponding, or similar parts of FIG. 6 and the contents thereof may be omitted.

Referring to FIG. 7, a data management method applied to electronic devices 101 and 102 belonging to different users may include operations 701 to 715. Operations 701 to 715 may be executed, for example, when the user selects the option 513 of FIG. 5A. When the option 511 of FIG. 5A is selected, the divided data may be a document data file jointly worked by a plurality of users.

In operation 701, the processor 120 may determine whether a connection with an external electronic device through the communication module 160 is established. That is, the processor 120 may determine whether the external electronic device to which the connection is established is the electronic device 102 registered as a member. If the external electronic device 102 to which the connection has been established is the electronic device 102 registered as a member, operation 703 may be performed. Otherwise, the determination of operation 701 may be repeated.

In operation 703, the processor 120 may receive, from the external electronic device 102, a password input by another member through the external electronic device 102. However, it is also possible to obtain a password from the electronic device 101 instead of the external electronic device 102 and perform a subsequent operation.

In operation 705, the processor 120 may generate an encryption key by applying the password obtained in operation 703 to the key derivation algorithm 137.

In operation 707, the processor 120 may encrypt the acquired data using the encryption key generated in operation 705 and the encryption algorithm 139 stored in the memory 130.

In operation 709, the processor 120 may determine the size of the first file 133 and the size of the second file 135 to be divided and generated from the data according to the type of the electronic device 101 or the external electronic device 102.

In operation 711, the processor 120 may generate the data by dividing the data into a first file 133 and a second file 135 according to the size of each file determined in operation 709.

In operation 713, the processor 120 may store the first file 133 in the memory 130.

In operation 715, the processor 120 may transmit the second file 135 to the external electronic device 102 to be stored in the external electronic device 102.

8 shows a data management method according to an embodiment of the present invention for restoring data.

Referring to FIG. 8, a data management method for restoring data according to an embodiment of the present invention may include operations 801 to 813. Operations 801 to 813 may be performed after each operation of FIGS. 3 and 4 is performed, for example.

In operation 801, the processor 120 may determine whether an application 131 capable of executing predetermined data has been driven. If the application 131 has been driven, operation 803 may be performed. Otherwise, the determination of operation 801 may be repeated.

In operation 803, the processor 120 may determine whether a connection with an external electronic device through the communication module 160 is established. If the connection with the external electronic device 102 is established, operation 805 is performed. Otherwise, the data management method according to an embodiment of the present invention may be terminated. However, in an embodiment, if the connection with the external electronic device 102 is not established, the electronic device 101 may repeatedly attempt to connect with the external electronic device 102.

In operation 805, the processor 120 may check whether a second file corresponding to the first file 133 stored in the memory 130 is acquired in the memory 130. For example, this operation 805 may be performed when the application 131 searches for executable data. If the second file corresponding to the first file 133 is acquired in the memory 130, operation 811 may be performed. Otherwise, operation 807 may be performed.

If the second file 135 is not identified in the memory 130, in operation 807, the processor 120 may transmit a message requesting the second file 135 to the external electronic device 102.

In operation 809, the processor 120 may obtain a second file 135 corresponding to the message transmitted in operation 807 through the communication module 160 from the external electronic device 102.

In operation 811, the processor 120 may restore data based on the first file 133 and the second file 135.

In operation 813, the processor 120 may output the restored data through an application. The user of the electronic device 101 may view or edit the restored data with the application.

9 shows a data management method according to another embodiment of the present invention for restoring data. In the description related to FIG. 9, descriptions overlapping, corresponding or similar to those of FIG. 8 may be omitted.

Referring to FIG. 9, a data management method for restoring data according to another embodiment of the present invention may include operations 901 to 921. Operations 901 to 921 may be performed after each operation of FIGS. 6 and 7 is performed, for example. In addition, the following external electronic device 102 stores the second file 135, and it is assumed that the second file 135 is encrypted.

In operation 901, the processor 120 may determine whether the application 131 is driven. If the application 131 has been driven, the process proceeds to operation 903, and if not, the determination of operation 901 may be repeated.

In operation 903, the processor 120 may determine whether a connection with the external electronic device 102 through the communication module 160 is established. If the connection with the external electronic device 102 is established, operation 905 is performed. Otherwise, the data management method according to an embodiment of the present invention may be terminated.

In operation 905, the processor 120 may check whether the second file 135 corresponding to the first file 133 stored in the memory 130 is acquired in the memory 130. This operation 803 may be performed when the application 131 searches for executable data. For example, if the application 131 is an image viewer application, the image viewer application checks and displays displayable images (eg, jpeg, gif, png image), and checks and displays files of the same type as the first file 133 2 It is possible to check whether the file 135 is acquired in the memory 130. The first file 133 may include information on a corresponding second file 135 (a file name, a stored external device, etc.), such as a header or a reserved field of a file. It may be checked whether the corresponding file is stored in the memory 130 based on the information on the second file 135. If the second file 135 corresponding to the first file 133 is acquired in the memory 130, operation 911 may be performed. Otherwise, operation 907 may be performed.

If the second file has not been acquired in the memory 130, in operation 907, the processor 120 may transmit a message requesting the second file 135 to the external electronic device 102 through the communication module 160.

In operation 909, the processor 120 may receive and obtain the second file 135 corresponding to the message transmitted in operation 907 through the communication module 160 from the external electronic device 102.

In operation 911, the processor 120 may transmit a message for requesting a password to the external electronic device 102 through the communication module 160.

In operation 913, the processor 120 may receive and obtain a password from the external electronic device 102 in response to the message transmitted in operation 911 through the communication module 160. According to some embodiments, the password may be obtained directly from a user of the external electronic device 102 through a display 150 equipped with a touch panel.

In operation 915, the processor 120 may determine whether the password obtained from the external electronic device 102 is a correct password. If the correct password is obtained, operation 917 is performed, and if not, the data management method according to an embodiment of the present invention may be terminated.

In operation 917, the processor 120 may generate a decryption key by applying the password obtained in operation 913 to the key derivation algorithm 137.

In operation 919, the processor 120 may restore data based on the first file 133 stored in the memory 130 and the second file 135 acquired from the external electronic device 102 using the decryption key and the decryption algorithm generated in operation 917. .

In operation 921, the processor 120 may output the restored data through an application.

10A to 10D illustrate screens to which a data management method according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is applied.

10A illustrates exemplary screens 1010 and 1020 when divided or reconstructed data is image data.

On the screen 1010, a plurality of image data including a plurality of image data 1011 and image data 1013 to 1019 are output by an image viewer application. The plurality of images 1011 may represent image data restored by the data management method illustrated in FIG. 8 or 9, for example. That is, each of the plurality of images 1011 may represent an image restored from a first file stored in the memory 130 and a second file received from the external electronic device 102. The user can easily identify that the plurality of images 1011 are restored images through the unlocked lock display included in each.

On the other hand, screen 1020 shows a case in which data restoration according to FIG. 8 or 9 is not performed ('No' in operation 803 of FIG. 8,'No' in operation 903, or'No' in operation 915). Looking at screen 1020, a plurality of image data including image data 1013 to 1019 are output by an image viewer application. Image data 1013, 1015, 1017, and 1019 are image data stored in a conventional manner, and thus may be commonly displayed on screens 1010 and 1020. However, the plurality of images 1011 may not be displayed on the screen 1020 because each of the images 1011 has not been restored due to the absence of a corresponding second file.

10B illustrates exemplary screens 1020 and 1040 when the divided or restored data is communication history data.

On the screen 1030, reception history data (or communication history data) 1031, 1033, and 1035 corresponding to each contact are output by the messaging application. The reception history data 1031 from "Keira Smith" may be data restored by the data management method shown in FIG. 8 or 9, for example. That is, the reception history data 1031 may represent reception history data restored from the first file stored in the memory 130 of the electronic device 101 and the second file received from the external electronic device 102.

On the other hand, screen 1040 shows a case in which data restoration according to FIG. 8 or 9 is not performed ('No' in operation 803 of FIG. 8,'No' in operation 903, or'No' in operation 915). On the screen 1040, reception history data 1031, 1035, and 1037 corresponding to each contact are output by the messaging application. Reception history data 1031, 1035, and 1037 are typical reception history data to which various embodiments of the present invention are not applied, and thus may be commonly displayed on screens 1030 and 1040. However, the reception history data 1031 from "Keira Smith" may not be displayed on the screen 1040 due to the absence of a corresponding second file.

10C illustrates exemplary screens 1050 and 1060 when the divided or restored data is web page address data (eg, a URL file).

On screen 1050, a plurality of web page address data including two web page address data (web page address data of "News Peppermint" and "Telegram") 1051 are output by a web browser application. Each of the two web page address data 1051 may be web page address data restored by the data management method illustrated in FIG. 8 or 9, for example. That is, the two web page address data 1051 may be web page address data restored from a first file stored in the memory 130 of the electronic device 101 and a second file received from the external electronic device 102, respectively.

On the other hand, screen 1060 indicates a case in which data restoration according to FIG. 8 or 9 is not performed ('No' in operation 803 of FIG. 8,'No' in operation 903, or'No' in operation 915). However, the two web page address data 1051 are not displayed on the screen 1060 because they have not been restored due to the absence of the corresponding second file.

10D illustrates exemplary screens 1070 and 1080 when the divided or restored data is address book data.

On screen 1070, a plurality of address book data including address book data 1071 of the web page "Melissa" are output by the address book application. Address book data 1071 of "Melissa" may be address book data restored by the data management method shown in FIG. 8 or 9, for example. That is, address book data 1071 of "Melissa" may be address book data restored from a first file stored in the memory 130 of the electronic device 101 and a second file received from the external electronic device 102.

On the other hand, screen 1080 shows a case in which data restoration according to FIG. 8 or 9 is not performed ('No' in operation 803 of FIG. 8,'No' in operation 903, or'No' in operation 915). However, address book data 1071 of "Melissa" is not output on the screen 1080 due to the absence of the corresponding second file.

According to various embodiments of the present disclosure, since data requiring security measures is divided and stored in a plurality of electronic devices, data cannot be restored using only divided files stored by the plurality of electronic devices. Accordingly, data requiring privacy protection or security measures can be safely managed.

In addition, sizes of the first file and the second file to be divided may be determined according to the type of each electronic device. In particular, when a wearable device is used as an external electronic device, the size of the second file transmitted to the wearable device can be reduced, thereby reducing the amount of data transmission and promoting efficient use of the memory of the wearable device.

In addition, when the data management method according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied to electronic devices belonging to the same user, even if any one of the electronic devices is lost, only divided files are stored in each electronic device. A user who has acquired any of the above electronic devices cannot read or distribute files before division.

In addition, since data encryption may be additionally applied, even if all of the electronic devices are lost, a user who accidentally acquires all of the electronic devices cannot read or distribute files before division.

In addition, when the data management method according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied to electronic devices belonging to different users, the file before division cannot be viewed or distributed unless it is connected to the electronic devices of all users.

In addition, in various embodiments, data to be divided may support various types of data files. Accordingly, a data management method according to various embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied to various fields requiring privacy protection or security measures.

The term "module" used in this document may mean, for example, a unit including one or a combination of two or more of hardware, software, or firmware. "Module" may be used interchangeably with terms such as, for example, unit, logic, logical block, component, or circuit. The "module" may be the smallest unit of integrally configured parts or a part thereof. The "module" may be a minimum unit or a part of one or more functions. The "module" can be implemented mechanically or electronically. For example, a "module" is one of known or future developed application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) chips, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or programmable-logic devices that perform certain operations. It may include at least one.

At least a part of a device (eg, modules or functions thereof) or a method (eg, operations) according to various embodiments is, for example, a computer-readable storage media in the form of a program module. It can be implemented as a command stored in. When the command is executed by a processor (eg, processor 120), the one or more processors may perform a function corresponding to the command. The computer-readable storage medium may be, for example, the memory 130.

Computer-readable recording media include hard disks, floppy disks, magnetic media (e.g. magnetic tape), optical media (e.g. CD-ROM, DVD, magneto-optical media). optical media) (eg floptical disk), hardware devices (eg ROM, RAM, flash memory, etc.), etc. Also, program instructions include machine code such as those produced by a compiler. In addition, it may include a high-level language code that can be executed by a computer using an interpreter, etc. The above-described hardware device may be configured to operate as one or more software modules to perform operations of various embodiments, and vice versa. .

A module or a program module according to various embodiments of the present disclosure may include at least one or more of the above-described components, some of which are omitted, or may further include other additional components. Operations performed by modules, program modules, or other components according to various embodiments may be executed sequentially, in parallel, repetitively, or in a heuristic manner. In addition, some operations may be executed in a different order, omitted, or other operations may be added.

In addition, the embodiments disclosed in this document are presented for description and understanding of the disclosed and technical content, and do not limit the scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the scope of this document should be construed as including all changes or various other embodiments based on the technical idea of the present invention.

Claims (20)

In the electronic device,
A memory configured to store at least one application;
A communication module configured to establish a connection between the electronic device and an external electronic device and execute the at least one application in response to a user input; And
Including a processor,
The processor executes the at least one application,
Dividing data executable by the at least one application into a first file and a second file,
Storing the first file in the memory,
Transmitting the second file to the external electronic device through the communication module to be stored in the external electronic device, and
An electronic device configured to determine the size of the first file and the size of the second file based on the type of the electronic device or the external electronic device. The method according to claim 1,
The electronic device configured to disable the output of the first file through the at least one application. delete The method according to claim 1,
The processor is configured to determine a size of the second file smaller than the size of the first file when the external electronic device is a wearable device. The method according to claim 1,
The memory further stores a key derivation algorithm for generating an encryption key for encrypting the data,
The processor is configured to generate the encryption key by applying a password to the key derivation algorithm, and to encrypt the data using the encryption key. The method according to claim 1,
The memory further stores a key derivation algorithm for generating an encryption key for encrypting the data,
The processor is configured to generate the encryption key by applying a password to the key derivation algorithm, and to encrypt the first file and the second file using the encryption key. The method of claim 5,
The password is an electronic device obtained from the external electronic device. The method of claim 5,
The password is input from a user of the electronic device. The method of claim 5,
The processor is an electronic device configured to perform encryption based on a block cipher. The method according to claim 1,
When the application is driven and a connection is established between the electronic device and the external electronic device, the processor checks whether to obtain the second file corresponding to the stored first file,
When the second file is not obtained, the processor is configured to transmit a message requesting the second file to the external electronic device through the communication module. The method of claim 10,
When the second file is obtained from the external electronic device in response to the message, the processor is configured to restore the data from the first file and the second file. The method according to claim 1,
The communication module is an electronic device that establishes a connection with the external electronic device through any one of Bluetooth, Wi-Fi Direct, and NFC. As a data management method of an electronic device,
Dividing data executable by at least one application into a first file and a second file;
Storing the first file in a memory; And
And transmitting the second file to the external electronic device to be stored in an external electronic device configured to execute the at least one application in response to a user input,
The data management method of determining the size of the first file and the size of the second file based on the type of the electronic device or the external electronic device. delete The method of claim 13,
The determining includes determining a size of the second file smaller than the size of the first file if the external electronic device is a wearable device. The method of claim 13,
Obtaining a password;
Generating an encryption key by applying the password to a key derivation algorithm; And
Data management method further comprising the operation of encrypting the data using the encryption key. The method of claim 16,
The operation of obtaining the password is an operation obtained from the external electronic device. The method of claim 16,
The operation of obtaining the password is an operation obtained from a user of the electronic device. The method of claim 13,
When the application is driven and a connection is established between the electronic device and the external electronic device, checking whether to obtain the second file corresponding to the stored first file; And
If the second file has not been obtained, transmitting a message requesting the second file to the external electronic device. The method of claim 19,
Obtaining the second file from the external electronic device in response to the message; And
And restoring the data from the stored first file and the acquired second file.

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